THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
IT TAKES MANY WIVES TO MILK A RICH KALMUCK'S COWS
A stockman with hundreds of sheep and cattle usually buys as many wives as he can support.
He needs them for housework and to bear him children. Because of unsanitary conditions and
the mothers' abysmal ignorance of the care of children, it generally takes a number of wives to
rear a single family. Women seldom lay aside their braids of dirty false hair, even when milking,
chopping wood, or sleeping (see text, page 48).
home was a two-room structure-one small
room to eat and sleep in, the other a large
room for his gods. A massive altar stood
against the center wall.
In front of the centrally seated Buddha
were dozens of small copper offering cups.
Some of the cups held milk, others grains
and crumbs of bread; but all were quite
fresh and recently set out.
"Don't fear," whispered Ala Beg at my
elbow, "they don't waste the gifts. Every
morning they offer a prayer of thanks
giving to the Buddha-happy that he has
received their offerings; then they empty all
the little cups into the great iron kettle,
throw in anything else they happen to have
on hand, and boil up the hotchpotch for
their one daily meal."
When I questioned the Lama as to
whether he had been to Tibet, he brought
out a long, narrow, red and white striped
envelope of the Chinese variety. Tenderly
he drew out and unfolded a long sheet of
paper, brown and frayed at the edges.
"It is a letter from the Dalai Lama of
Tibet," he said, casting a sidelong glance at
me to catch my look of admiration.
"As
a young priest I went on a pilgrimage to
Tibet and for seven years I remained there,
studying the holy writings and learning the
mysteries of the Great Buddha. Since my
return, the Divine Lama has sent me sev
eral letters."
A BUDDHA OF SOLID GOLD
The lama called one of his priests and
gave directions for showing us around.
As we stood in the main assembly room
of the temple, I commented to Ala Beg on
the size of the great central Buddha.
"But that is only their second Buddha.
There is a Buddha somewhere in the temple
which is of solid gold; I have never seen it,
but the Kalmucks all over the valley speak
of it with awe and reverence and look to
it as their true and greatest Tekes god."
I stepped over to Sayjan Beg, who was
looking at the strange collection of idols
with unfeigned curiosity.
"Ala Beg says that there is an even
greater Buddha of solid gold; why not ask
the priest if we can see it?"